


All it takes is a hug

by awesomeimportantirondad (awsomeimportantfan)



Series: being a dad is hard [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Happy Ending, Irondad, Jealous Peter Parker, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Canon Compliant, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Starkfamily, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Lives, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark and Peter Parker Argue, spiderson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:28:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24038128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awsomeimportantfan/pseuds/awesomeimportantirondad
Summary: Everything should be okay again. Shouldn't it? Tony and Peter talked (more like hugged) it out. So it should be fine. The thing is just… it isn't.
Relationships: Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: being a dad is hard [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1733989
Comments: 9
Kudos: 249
Collections: The Best Irondad/Spiderson Fics, The Best Peter Parker Whump Fics, The Best of the Best MCU Fics





	All it takes is a hug

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everybody! I hope you've been alright in these complicated times.  
> It took me a lot longer to write this than I would have liked and sadly it's not even the promised sequel. More like an interlude of the time between chapter 9 and the bonus chapter 10 of Morgan is coming.  
> I promise I'm still working on the sequel and will keep you updated when it's finally finished. Until then I hope you enjoy this small story.

“Could you hand me the hexagonal spanner to your left please?”

All that answers Tony is silence. No hexagonal spanner to be seen. Looking up reveals why. Peter's sitting at his table, staring at his homework. One of his hands is buried deep inside his hair and he's chewing on the end of his pencil.

“Pete? You with me?”

He doesn't react to that as well, so Tony stands up and gets the hexagonal spanner himself, stopping at Peter's desk and laying his hand on Peter's shoulder.

“Hey. You listening?”

Peter finally shows a reaction, his eyes slowly leaving the page in front of him and crawling up Tony's form, before settling on his eyes. Peter blinks owlishly and tilts his head in a questioning way.

“Sorry. What?”

“What are you doing that's capturing your whole attention?”

Peter shrugs his shoulders and starts rubbing his eyes tiredly. “Just Spanish homework. We have to write an application in Spanish. Like when will I ever need this shit again? I'm really not planning on finding a job in Spain or Mexico or some shit.”

“Well you can never know. Do you need my help? I mean I'm better in French, but my Spanish isn't that awful.”

Peter just shrugs his shoulders noncommittally, but makes some space for Tony to sit down nonetheless.

***

They're not even halfway through when FRIDAY interrupts Peter mid speaking.

“Boss? Little Miss Stark seems to be in great distress. Would you like to go up or would you like me to send someone else?”

Tony immediately stops talking and readies himself to dash towards the elevator. He can feel Peter's eyes on him, even though he tries to look as nonchalant as he can.

“What about Pep? She should be with her right now, right?”

“Miss Stark is currently in the shower and asked for you to come up. You agreed to watching over Morgan for the afternoon until Miss Stark returns in the evening.”

“What about Happy? What's he doing?”

“Mister Hogan is going to drive Miss Stark to her appointment and will return roughly half an hour later.”

Tony eyes Peter who quickly looks away, as if he didn't have any kind of interest in the conversation happening at hand. Even if Tony hadn't seen him glancing towards him every few seconds, he would have instantly recognized the tenseness he has to his shoulders and his nervous habit of bouncing his leg up and down.

“Tell her I'm coming up now.”

Peter immediately goes rigid before slumping down again. Tony can't see his eyes exactly, but he's betting Peter is trying to burn a hole in his homework.

  
“I'm gonna go up, watch Morgan for a bit until Happy returns. Do you want to stay down here or come up with me?”

Peter doesn't really react, doesn't even look at Tony. The only reaction he gets is a murmured “stay here” but that's it.

“You sure? We can finish your schoolwork up there just as good as we can down here. I can even make you something to eat.”

“No thanks.”

  
Tony hesitates. Remembering how this isn't the first time he leaves Peter down here alone to look after Pepper or Morgan. The last time Peter wan't here anymore when Tony returned. He really doesn't want an iteration of that moment.

“I could use your help up there. You really don't want to come up with me and help an old man out?”

Tony hopes he doesn't sound as desperate as he thinks. But in any way it works and Peter blows out an irritated sigh before packing up his homework and standing up.

“Fine. If you stop bugging me I'm going to come up with you.”

Tony blinks at the aggressive undertone he can hear in Peter's voice but smiles at him anyway before ushering him towards the elevator.

“Fri, be a dear and tell Pep we're coming up now.”

He can't exactly pinpoint why, but Tony's sure Peter is angry with him. But even though he knows this, he doesn't really know what he should do about it. Should he just ask Peter what he's angry about? Should he just ignore it? Is he angry because Tony tried helping him with his homework? Or because they had to leave the lab? Because of Morgan? Or did he really want to stay in the lab and not come up with Tony?

For now Tony will just keep quit about it. He will look after Morgan until Pep comes out of the shower and maybe she can help him determine what's wrong with Peter and what his next steps should be. Until then he will pretend to not notice Peter's ire.

***

As soon as they reach the top floor Peter turns towards the living room while Tony makes a beeline towards Morgan's room where she's crying for someone. It doesn't take long for her to calm down. Really. All it takes is Tony's presence and she calms down considerably. That fact never fails to warm Tony's heart.

He decides to take Morgan with him to the living room. That way he can help Peter with his homework and watch her simultaneously. And maybe it will calm Peter down as well.

Except Peter doesn't react at all when Tony and Morgan enter the living room. Instead he keeps staring at the paper lying in front of him, not even blinking in their direction.

Tony decides to ignore Peter's lack of a reaction as good as he can and instead settles himself down beside him, setting Morgan in his lap.

“So. Where were we? Did you finally decide on what your best qualities are?”

That finally gives him a reaction from Peter, who only huffs an annoyed breath.

Since Peter doesn't seem to want to say anything to that Tony decides to just keep talking.

“Personally I would say your best quality is your kindness. Or maybe even your selflessness or patience. But to be honest I don't know which corporation would see that as something you would need for your job. And you won't even need to write any applications. So this whole assignment is just stupid.”

That finally makes Peter twitch and look up to Tony before his eyes flit down towards Morgan for a second.

“I told you the homework was useless- Wait! What do you mean I won't need to write any applications? How do you think I'm going to get a job?”

Tony just shrugs his shoulders in response to that and adjusts Morgan in his lap.

“Why would you need an application? I'll employ you anyway so there's not much point to writing an application.”

“You can't just employ me! There's a whole process to that! I need to be good enough and I need a collage degree to even apply. You can't just ignore all of that because you want me to work for you!”

Tony shrugs his shoulders again before smiling at Peter.

“It's my company. So why not? Besides it would be stupid of me to not hire you. Now can't you just not do this homework and tell your teacher that you're the appointed heir of Stark Industries? We could use the time now to watch a movie instead.”

In answer to his statement Tony gets a shrill shriek of “What” from Peter at the same time Pepper enter's the room and scolds him.

“Tony! You can't just throw stuff like that at Peter's head! You need time and privacy to discuss such a matter and ease him into the idea!”

Tony smiles at Pepper while Peter still gawks at him with an open-mouthed expression.

“Yes, Pepper. Of course, Pepper. I'm sorry, Pepper.”

Pepper laughs and gives Tony a fond kiss before kissing Morgan on her head as well who giggles at her mother and reaches for her. Pepper squeezes her hand for a few seconds before ruffling Peter's hair and giving him a forehead kiss as well.

“I'm heading out now. You two maybe have to talk a bit but down forget about Morgan. I'll see you later. Love you!”

Tony takes Morgans little hand in his and waves it goodbye at Pepper while he smiles at her.

“Bye Pepper! We love you too!”

Peter still sits there, open-mouthed with big eyes directed in Tony's direction. He doesn't even move when Pepper leaves the apartment or when Tony sets Morgan down and moves to the open kitchen to start fiddling with all the ingredients needed to make a sandwich.

Tony for his part doesn't acknowledge Peter at all. Instead he just keeps talking as if nothing even happened.

“So personally I was thinking to maybe watch a movie until Happy returns. And since you're such a big fan why not watch Star Wars. Right? That can't be the wrong choice with you.”

Finally Peter shows a reaction: turning around abruptly to stare at Tony, mindful of not disturbing Morgan who is gurgling happily next to Peter.

“You what?!”

At Peter's alarmed tone Tony looks up from the bread he's currently toasting. Peter looks at him as if he just told him his puppy died.

“I thought of watching Star Wars... Not a good choice?”

Peter blinks at him owlishly before he takes a deep breath.

“No. Before that. The thing about... about the heir. Were you serious right then?”

“Hm? Of course. Why wouldn't I have been serious?”

Tony finishes the sandwich and puts it on a plate before grabbing a drink for Peter and taking both to him on the couch. After setting both of it down in front of Peter, Tony takes Morgan and sets her down on her playmat in the middle of the living room.

“You don't want to?”

Peter just keeps staring at Tony with a stunned expression. They stare at each other for a moment before Tony starts nudging the plate closer to Peter when he still doesn't react.

“Mister Stark you can't just... but I'm not... what about Morgan?”

Tony just looks at Peter confused for a moment before he sinks back into the couch.

“What about Morgan? Is there something wrong?”

Peter starts flailing his arms helplessly before he finally stands up to pace the room. He walks up and down three times before he sits down again with an unbelieving huff.

“She's your daughter! Your actual, physical daughter. Your heir! You can't just appoint someone else!”

Tony stares at him before he shrugs his shoulders.

“Well. I didn't just appoint _someone_. I appointed you. I just thought you were the right choice for the job. You know you will have to share your position with Morgan when she gets old enough to show an appreciation for science. But if she doesn't want to, the job is all yours.”

Peter starts tearing at his hair at Tony's statement.

“No.”

“What no? You don't want to share or you don't want the job?”

“Tony, I can't be your heir. I'm not even your son. Morgan is your daughter! She needs to be your heir. Not some unrelated kid from Queens!”

Tony furrows his brows and stops nudging the sandwich in Peter's direction.

“Is this what this is about? I already told you you're as much my child as Morgan is.”

Peter suddenly jumps to his feet before nervously pacing the room again.

“NO! Tony this is not how any of this works! You can't just see a random kid and be like 'Oh that's mine now'! I'm not your son!”

“Well what if I want you to be? I love you just as much as I love Morgan. Why shouldn't I be allowed to think of you as my son?”

“Because I'm not! Do you just ignore what I just said?!”

“Well sorry my feelings aren't convenient to you! I don't care if you see me as your father or your mentor or whatever! For me you're just as much my child as Morgan so please just let us settle this whole thing. Morgan doesn't like people screaming near her.”

“Of course everything you care about is Morgan! You can't tell me you see me as a son when you clearly don't care about me at all!”

“What makes you think that?! I made you a sandwich! I regularly help with your homework! We meet at least two times a week and if we can't I call you and ask about everything that's happening in your life! I... You're so important to me Peter. I know I fucked up big time, okay? I know there where a few situations I read wrong or that were really unfortunate. But Peter. Please just let me show you how much I care. You are one of the few most important people in my life. And of course Morgan is there as well, but I don't love you any less just because I started loving her. My heart is not a cake I have to divide between all the people I love and every time I love someone new the other people in my life get a smaller piece. Every single one of you has a place in my heart and with every new person my heart keeps growing. I love you so much I can't even form words for it!”

Tony pants an exhausted breath after his speech and slumps forward, burying his face in his hands.

“Please Peter. Why can't you just accept how much I love you, how important you are to me?”

Peter finally sits down as well, even though it's on the other side of the room in the comfortable armchair. Morgan is still babbling away on her playmat in the middle of the room, between the both of them.

„It's just... you forgot about me. I wasn't important anymore. It... It felt awful.“

Tony snaps upright suddenly, pronouncing every single one of his words.

“Listen well Peter. Yes I fucked up and yes you must have felt awful. But my attention is not what makes you important. You are always important Peter and nobody can change that. And you are and always will be especially important to me. No matter what you may think at any moment, I will always love and care for you.”

What follows Tony's statement is utter silence in which Peter avoids his eyes until he finally breaks down crying. The moment Tony hears Peter's muffled sobs he stands up and kneels down in front of Peter's seat, holding onto the cushion of the armchair.

“May I please hug you?”

At first Peter doesn't respond but then he gives a barely noticeable nod and there is nothing that can hold Tony back any longer. He throws his arms around Peter in a tight hug und presses a careful kiss to his temple.

“Peter, Morgan is a baby and this whole situation is really, really new for me. I'm not a person who normally goes around just telling people how I feel. I have problems with that sort of thing. I should probably see a therapist, but I don't want to, okay? There's literally only four people I told how much they mean to me. And one of those people is my butler Jarvis when I was a literal child. Pepper didn't hear me pronounce my feelings till five years into our relationship. I'm not even sure I ever _told_ Rhodey how much he means to me. And if I did I was undoubtedly absolutely smashed. I felt for you as my child for such a long time already without even knowing about it. I broke down in literal panic when Happy mentioned such a relationship could exist between the two of us. My father was... he wasn't a good man. And I was so scared I would make all the mistakes he did in my childhood.”

Tony has tears streaming down his face while Peter still has his face pressed tightly into Tony's shoulder, so Tony can't see his face, but he's fairly certain Peter's still crying as well. The short moment of silence is broken by a self depreciated laugh from Tony.

“And look at me now. I did everything wrong I could. Made every mistake I swore myself I would avoid. I was so sure I could be better. But it seems like the cycle can't really be broken. Huh?”

Peter's arms around Tony's waist tighten at these words. And he presses his face into Tony's neck just a little bit tighter.

“Don't.”

His voice is muffled and barley even understandable. But it's enough that Tony tries to get Peter to look at him. Which doesn't really happen at first until Peter finally allows himself to be brought to arm's length before Tony's face.

“What do you mean bud?”

Peter blinks at the bright light the room holds after the darkness of Tony's neck. Then his eyes focus on Tony's miserable expression.

“Don't make yourself so bad. You're not a bad dad. It's just. I'm not your son-”

When Tony opens his mouth to argue with Peter he quickly corrects himself.

“At least I thought so at the moment. You're... you're a great dad to Morgan... and I mean... I think it's just... I'm insecure... and I kind of always knew I'm important to you. But it's just... I'm just... I think I'm just used to people showing their love to me differently... You know, more open. It's just... Uncle Ben always talked about his feelings... you know? I'm sorry I didn't see how much you love me just because I was jealous. I mean I suspected you saw me as your son but then Morgan happened and I got really insecure and jealous. I should have handled it better. I should have talked to you and I shouldn't have avoided coming over so much. I think we both made mistakes.”

Tony pulls Peter back into his arms and presses a lingering kiss on his temple.

“Okay, kid. We both made mistakes. But you have to promise me that you're going to talk to me in the future if anything is wrong or you're not feeling alright. Or if you're feeling left alone and really want some time with me. I'll always be there. Okay? You just need to talk to me. And if you just want to talk about school, your little nerdy friends or even your crush on your little scary girlfriend... I'll listen, okay? I will always listen. You just have to come to me and talk. I... I love you kid. Okay? Don't forget that again.”

Peter's cheeks flame bright red in embarrassment and he softly punches Tony's arm while he mumbles nearly unintelligible.

“Okay Tony. I promise. But just so you know, I don't have a crush on MJ!”

“Sure. Just convince yourself of that. But you can come to me when you've lived through your phase of denial. I'll be waiting for you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. I really hope you liked it and it could give some of you a better resolution.  
> As always I'll be happy about any and all kudos and comments you leave me ❤️


End file.
